Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt of a column by AFSCME President Lee Saunders published on Medium. To access the full column, click here.
This Labor Day, working people – especially those who dedicate their careers to public service – deserve recognition, respect and gratitude. This once-in-a-lifetime public health emergency has demanded more of us than ever, and we have delivered, often under life-or-death conditions.
In challenging moments like this, the power of a union means everything. Our strength in numbers was a difference-maker in the successful fight to pass the American Rescue Plan earlier this year. This groundbreaking new law has provided relief to millions upon millions of families, revitalizing the economy and investing hundreds of billions of dollars in vital public services.
It’s no wonder that more and more people are embracing unions and eager to experience the union difference. A newly released Gallup poll shows that more than two-thirds of people (68%) approve of labor unions, the highest level of public support since 1965. And across the country, workers are organizing with pride and passion, with power and purpose.